


Lost and Found

by Florafionpetals



Series: Phantump!Hop Series [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Gen, Phantump!Hop AU, angst up ahead, but it has a happy ending, hop is still hop, no matter what he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21568570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florafionpetals/pseuds/Florafionpetals
Summary: After ages of fruitless search, Leon finally finds his missing baby brother... As a Phantump.
Series: Phantump!Hop Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1554598
Comments: 11
Kudos: 314





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roseltheteacup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseltheteacup/gifts).



> I blame discord for this angst idea xP

Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. But still no sign of Hop ever since the finals. That is exactly how long Leon, now former champion after Victor, slept without a single wink. His brother is missing and his battle with Victor was the last time he-! No, anyone, ever saw him. 

Thankfully, far plenty of people cared to help find the missing boy. Victor, Raihan, Piers, everybody. Heck, even posh Bede couldn’t bear the thought of Hop being missing and helped as well. Regardless of how much help there is, Leon wouldn’t stop fruitlessly searching. Not until his baby brother is back and well. 

This evening’s search took him to the Glimwood Tangle.

Sonia had gone with him for that round and she had a tight grip on Leon’s hand in case he got lost.. Not that he is peppy enough to do so. The poor man had lost nearly all his liveliness since Hop’s loss. Even his footsteps are dragging, devoid of the excited sprint.

“Hey, I’m sure we’ll find him here Leon.. We haven’t checked the Tangle as often as the other places now did we?” Sonia tried to reassure her former rival. “Look, maybe Hop’s somewhere here. You know, exploring? And he’s probably gotten lost.”

Leon glanced up, gold eyes completely dull with misery and depression. Yet, from Sonia’s words, there was a tiny spark of hope. 

“You.. Really think he’s here?” 

Sonia swallowed. Then forced a smile. “Where else could he be? Look, if we try, we might bump into him.” She chuckled lightly while handing him a water bottle and satchel. “Just take these along. Hop must be awful starved if you ever find him.” 

“S-Sure..” Leon actually smiled. “I’ll go check the north.”

“That’s the spirit.” Sonia patted him along. “Now off you go. And don’t go too far!” 

Soon, the two parted ways searching in different parts of the Glimwood Tangle. Luckily for Leon, Sonia had also packed his Rotom Phone in the satchel for her to contact him. Aka, make sure he doesn’t get lost. But thanks to the surge of hope, Leon didn’t care. The only thing in his mind is finding his little brother who he desperately hoped, is around here…

Leon went farther down the north. In his searching, he didn’t realise he had gotten lost. But he didn’t care, and he continued calling his brother’s name. There was no response, but Leon kept calling. The longer he went, the hoarser his voice became. A grave realisation cut him like a knife as it dawned upon him; His brother is not here.

“N-No...” Leon finally reached his breaking point and fell to his knees. _“Hop!!”_

That one heartbroken wail of Hop’s name rang throughout the Tangle. The piercing sound terrified some of the inhabitant Pokemon away and they all fled; All except for one. Upon hearing that cry, something came out flying straight for the source of that voice.

It was a Phantump. A little dark coloured Ghost-type shrouded in a wooden tree stump mask with dark violet leaves. Its unusually amber eyes that were once filled with depression and sorrow is now lit up with extreme joy. It picked up the speed, until it finally reached the broken former champion.

Leon gasped as he was suddenly knocked down (literally) by the Phantump. He stared at the Pokemon in surprise; He remembered Phantump as one of the inhabitants of Glimwood Tangle and a Ghost-type with a rather heartbreaking background. He chuckled faintly.

“Hey lil bud. Didn’t see me now did you? Well I certainly didn’t,” Leon managed a small smile; For some reason he didn’t feel frightened of this creature. Like, it was someone he knew. 

The Phantump let out a soft moaning, one of affection as it rubbed against Leon’s chest. The man blinked at the affection - No wild Pokemon would immediately warm up to anybody. Unless, it wasn’t wild to begin with.

“... Have you lost your trainer?” Leon managed to ask. 

The Phantump’s reaction shocked Leon. It gave him an expression resembling a sad pout, before it shook its head. As Leon remained confused, the Ghost pokemon facepalmed and hovered before him. It began doing a wild variety of gestures; Bobbing up and down mid-air resembling hopping movements, gestures with its stubby arms, and attempts to talk only for squeaky Phantump noises to emit instead.

The man couldn’t understand it at first. “Hold up! Are you trying to tell me something? Geez I can’t understand you!” Leon snapped a little loud than he intended, much to the Phantump’s dismay. The Pokemon helplessly dropped down to Leon’s feet, gazing up at him with misery-filled eyes.

Guilt struck Leon once he saw those eyes. “Oh wait, I didn’t mean to hurt you…” He drawled off for he now had a good look into that Phantump’s eyes and physical features. He didn’t get to see them properly at first, but now he is getting that chance. The man began to shudder.

The Phantump… Had Hop’s eyes. The dark purple leaves resembled his namesake plant and the colour itself, Leon could tell, it was his brother’s.

Tears filled Leon’s eyes as he understood at once. “H-Hop? … Baby brother, is that, really you?” 

The Phantump, or, Hop in a Phantump’s form, gave a cheeky grin and spun around; He raised his left hand up, his best attempt of striking the Champion’s pose.

This is what convinced Leon at last, and the tearful man pulled Hop in for a tight hug. He didn’t know how, or what drove Hop to end up like this. But he was far too relieved to care; He had found his little brother after far too long. 


End file.
